The anomalous Nernst effect, which develops on a ferromagnetic material, is a phenomenon that an electric field occurs in a direction perpendicular to heat flow and magnetization. The Seebeck effect, which has been conventionally researched as a thermoelectric power generation technique, is a phenomenon that heat flow and an electric field occur in a coaxial direction. Therefore, in converting heat energy from a heat source to electrical energy, a complex structure needs to be made in which p-type semiconductors and n-type semiconductors are alternatively connected in series to be arranged in a matrix shape.
On the other hand, by employing the anomalous Nernst effect for thermoelectric power generation, an electric field occurs in an in-plain direction to heat flow flowing outside the plane. Therefore, thermoelectric conversions can be done with a very easy structure of a magnetic wire extending in the in-plane direction of a heat source. Thus, with a thermoelectric power generation employing the anomalous Nernst effect, advantages such as an easy application to a heat source not having flatness, like a cylindrical heat source, and a cost reduction of devices can be obtained.
As a technique related to such a thermoelectric power generation device, for example JP 2014-72256 A discloses a thermoelectric power generation device arranged on a substrate, the device having a power generating material consisting of a ferromagnetic material magnetized in a predetermined direction, wherein the power generating material is structured so as to generate electric power with a temperature difference in a direction perpendicular to the direction of magnetization, by the anomalous Nernst effect. Paragraph 0019 of the description of JP 2014-72256 A describes that the power generating material preferably consists of an L10 ordered alloy having high magnetic anisotropy. In paragraph 0019, FePt, CoPt, FePd, CoPd, FeNi, MnAl, MgGa and the like are given as examples of the L10 ordered alloy having high magnetic anisotropy. MIYASATO Takuro, “Anomalous Hall effect and Nernst-Ettingshausen effect of Itinerant Ferromagnets”, University of Tokyo Doctoral Dissertation, 2007 discloses Seebeck coefficients and Nernst coefficients of pure metals such as Fe, Co and Ni at various temperatures. Pu et al., Physical Review Letters, 2008, vol. 101, 117208 discloses Ga1-xMnxAs as a thermoelectric material. For example, it is possible to read from FIG. 3 in Pu et al. that the ferromagnetic property is lost and the anomalous Nernst effect does not develop at the room temperature.